Rogue's Angel
by AznDangster
Summary: *Sequel 2 On Angels Wings* In the months following Apocalypse's attack and escape, the Xmen have more to worry about than Creed's growing power against mutants, espeicially with a rumor about a mutant who has the power to steal the very essence of ur soul
1. Dreams

Rogue's Angel

*Sequel to On Angel's Wings"

-In the months that past after Rogue's death, the Xavier Institute and its inhabitants find themselves under intense scrutiny from the government. With Warren Worthington the Second dead and the human population helpless against the mutant "uprising", is it any wonder that Creed, an anti-mutant activist, seems to be gaining political ground against the fight towards mutants? With Apocalypse still roaming the Earth, the X-men have more to worry about than a couple of frightened humans. Especially when a mutant is found, a mutant rumored to be able to steal the very essence of your soul when touched, and the X-men are shocked to discover it is their very own Rogue.

But, something's wrong...terribly, terribly wrong.

* * *

There was something serene about winter.

Warren chuckled, letting go of the small thought even before he let it form fully.

Of course there was something serene about Winter. Everything died in the season, losing their grip on life even though they only lived for a short 3 seasons.

Death was something he was used to.

He turned away from the window, ignoring the everyday hustle and bustle of the mansion around him. Now that he was one of the leaders, Logan and Ororo sharing the other two thirds of the responsibility, he had more to worry about than the others.

He was responsible for so many more lives.

Out of habit he turned towards the direction of the grave he knew was seated at the edge of the woods, the headstone that stood alone against the cold wind.

Now that Scott, Jean and Charles were back, there was really no reason to keep their gravesites up. It had been odd to dig up the 3 caskets only to find them empty when they were opened. They had known, especially since the three bodies were sitting in the infirmary, but it had still been a shock.

The dead could come back.

He shook his head slightly, letting go of that thought too.

Not everything dead came back.

He continued through the mansion, noting the repairs that were taking place, stopping every so often to check on the progress of some projects. He let his mind wander, remembering the way the mansion had been before the attack more than 3 months ago

How much things seemed to have changed.

He supposed it was only fitting for the human population to be scared. They had only gotten a part of the real story, a part that had no doubt been over exaggerated and now they were armoring themselves for a war.

A war that was inevitable, and, a war that was the last thing on all of their minds.

Apocalypse was still out there.

Warren resisted the urge to curse or throw a fit, knowing it was useless. Nothing changed just because you break something or shatter something. Apocalypse would still be out there, and Rogue would still be dead.

He closed his eyes, swallowing slowly.

Rogue.

He promised himself that he would stop saying that name, otherwise he would go insane.

Not that he wasn't already there.

"Warren!"

He remained silent, lost in his own thoughts as he continued to walk through the mansion.

"Warren! Warren!"

He turned in time to let out a shout before his arms opened up, catching a speeding Jubilee in his arms. He bent over, trying to catch her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath.

"What?" He asked, jostling her a bit. She sucked in a breath, holding out a finger as she tried to speak. When nothing came out but a wheeze, Warren let out a frustrated sigh.

"Jubilee, I have no time to play games—,"

"No! No-No-No g-g-game! Ah!" she let out a breath before grabbing his arms, tugging him along behind her as she began to run.

"Jubilee! Stop!" Warren shouted, trying to resist. But at the moment, Jubilee was stronger.

He let her take him, only grumbling about the time being wasted.

He didn't see the tall figure at the open doors, instead choosing to look around the mansion to see if there was any defects in the construction.

He didn't notice the hush that fell across the mansion, all the nearby inhabitants stopping their activities as everyone stared.

"Warren!" Jubilee shouted, and in exasperation he turned to shout at her, "What?"

The brown eyes were wide, her hand twitching towards the side.

Warren followed the direction of the twitch, finally looking at the figure standing in the door. He let his blue gaze trail up the slim legs, flare of hips, tiny waist and slim neck before he saw the familiar tawny eyes.

Warren's mouth gaped open, everything in the world stopping as he stared.

"Um, is this Xavier's Institute for the gifted?" the guest asked, flipping her white strands to the side as her brown hair feel gently over her shoulder.

He reached forward towards the girl, not being able to believe.

It couldn't be.

He felt his heart sink and his mind scramble when his hand went through her, her face stuck in the same smile she had always had.

He let out a growl, his other hand reaching forward to try and pull the young woman to his side.

"Rogue!" he shouted, taking a step forward.

She began to fade, her image distorting as his mind began to piece together the strange events happening. The people around him began to shift, faces blurring together as he let out another shout.

X

Warren's eyes snapped open, heart hammering loudly against his chest as he bolted up into a sitting position.

The full moon outside the open window was still high in the sky, telling him that it wasn't anywhere near morning. He let out a groan when he glanced at the clock, falling back among the pillows with a tired sigh.

He wanted the dreams to stop.

If not for his sanity, than at least for a good night's sleep. He had yet to have a good night's sleep in 3 months, every night filled with dreams of the one he lost.

He laid in bed, thinking about her, believing he could still smell her in the room. What would life had been like if she had lived? Would they have gotten married?

Warren smiled, already picturing the scene in his head.

She would've worn white, nothing else would've been as beautiful on her. It wouldn't have been a big wedding. He couldn't think of anyone she would've wanted there except for the X-men and he couldn't think of anyone else he would've wanted there except for her.

So, a small wedding.

It would've been in the mansion, after the renovations of course. They would've all been gathered in the living room, looking up at the music began to play. She would walk down the stairs with the smile on her face that he knew he would never get tired of seeing. She would let the Professor give her away, after all, who had been more like a father to her than him?

She would come down the aisle towards him and even now, he felt the nervous butterflies in his chest. She would walk slowly up to him and with shaking hands he would lift the veil. He would see those gorgeous whiskey-colored eyes and get lost in them…

With a growl he sat back up, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed until they hit the cold wooden floor.

If he kept this up, he would drive himself insane.

He ran a hand raggedly through his short, tousled blonde hair, closing his eyes as he ran his hands over his face in the same motion.

How long was it going to last? Would he be thinking about her every day of his life, never being to move on and just stuck in what could've been? Was he cursed to never forget her laugh, or the way she smelled or the way she smiled?

What if he never forgot the way she died?

With a sigh he stood up slowly, reaching for a shirt off the edge of his desk. He threw it over his head, opting to go out in his boxers.

He needed a drink.

The wood creaked under his feet but he ignored the noise it made, not caring if he woke the Bobby.

Since the mansion was being renovated, a lot of the rooms were doubled, or in some cases tripled, with mutants. He shared a room with Bobby and considered himself fortunate that Bobby was the only one who he was sharing a room with.

Not like the poor bastard Logan who was stuck with David and Lonnie.

_Speak of the devil_ Warren thought when he opened the kitchen door and found Logan there already nursing a warm beer.

The older mutant glanced up and Warren gave a small salute as he walked over to the fridge.

"Don't bother, this was the last one." Logan said with the ghost of a smile on his lips, holding up the beer bottle before taking a large gulp.

Warren only let out another sigh, figuring it was just his luck that Logan beat him to the last beer by mere minutes. Warren turned, bending to rest his arms on the counter and pinning Logan with his blue gaze.

"What's the rule with the beer?"

"Rule?" Logan asked, throwing back another gulp.

"Come on man, you're the one who made it. The rule where the one to take the last beer has to pay for another one."

"Oh, that rule? Yeah, I forgot to add something. It doesn't apply to me." Logan said with a grin. Warren didn't think about how the grin failed to reach the older man's eyes.

No one's smile did anymore.

Instead, he opted to roll his own blue ones before standing back up fully.

"There a reason you're awake?" he asked, stifling his own yawn.

"Firecracker and Sleeper won't stop snoring." Logan sneered, referring to Lonnie and David. He took another swing of beer and didn't protest when Warren took it out of his hands, knocking back a gulp before shoving it back into Logan's hands.

"Bobby is quiet sleeper." Warren bragged, earning a searing look from the Wolverine.

"I'll ignore that. So, what's your story?" Logan asked, taking another swing. He watched the blue eyes darken before Warren answered shortly.

"Bad dreams."

Logan nodded, standing up from the stool as he slid the bottle over the table to Warren. "Don't stay up too late, kid. Big day tomorrow."

Logan walked out, leaving a quiet and contemplating Warren behind.

It was a full minute before she appeared.

She always did.

Maybe that was why he couldn't let go of her. He still saw her, still spoke to her and still felt her every day.

He turned when the saw the faint glow near the stove, waiting for the familiar form to appear.

She smiled when she saw him and Warren felt himself getting lost in the tawny depths of her eyes.

"Hello Warren."

* * *

Happy Early Birthday to "A Fan" :D (Who's b-day is on the 14th of April)

I actually have been meaning to get this chapter up, but been so busy lately with school and work and everything.

Soooooo, here it is! "Rogue's Angel, Chapter 1: Dreams"

I don't know how long it's going to be before i update it (i am being truthful, so sorry .) but school does officially end for me on the 23rd of April, so be expecting new chapters around then :D)

until then, much love, and don't forget to check out my other stories!


	2. Seven Sins

He first saw her a month after she died.

That was probably when he knew she was really dead. There was no more hope that what he had been living through was just a nightmare. She came like Namor and Namora always came, phasing in and out without any warning or pretense.

Since he knew Namor and Namora were dead, that meant that Rogue was dead too.

He turned, nursing the warm beer in his hands as he waited for her to form fully.

She smiled when she saw him, but like everyone else in the mansion, her smile didn't quite reach her eyes either. She took a step forward, the white wings fading from her back as she did so.

"I see you're up again." She mused, leaning on her elbows on the small island table.

"Bad dreams." He repeated, still watching her warily.

She gave a chuckle.

"Still expecting me to blow up? Disappear? Vanish from your life?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as she waited for an answer.

"Just wondering why you're here now." Warren replied, hating how his voice shook with emotion. He tried to hide it, but knew she heard it.

She always did.

"I am sorry." She whispered for what must've been the hundredth time she he'd begun seeing her. The problem was, she had nothing to be sorry about.

It wasn't her fault that she had died, but his.

"Stop saying you're sorry." Warren grumbled, lifting the beer to his lips as he took a gulp.

She looked down at her hands which were clasped together atop the table. She took a breath before she spoke.

"Be careful, Angel."

Warren glanced over at her from the corner of his eyes, lowering the beer bottle slowly as he swiped his back hand across his mouth.

"Careful?" he asked, confused. He watched as she nodded.

"Something's coming, and you're going to need to be on your game."

"I guess it would be useless asking you to elaborate, huh?"

She nodded, answering his question solemnly.

"Figures." He muttered. Those damn apparitions never could say more than a stupid prophecy before disappearing.

He threw the empty bottle away, turning to look at her once more.

She didn't look any different, and that was what constantly threw him off. She still breathed, he watched her chest rise with every breath. She still spoke, she still smiled, laughed, and sighed. She still moved, her body as fluid in death as it was in life.

She was still Rogue.

He reached out, moving to place his hand over the two of hers that were clasped together. He let out a growl in frustration when he watched as his hand passed through, looking up to find her gazing at him with such pain in her eyes.

"I am so sorry." She repeated and he watched as she began to fade away, her entire body becoming more transparent with each passing second.

He stood alone a moment later, cursing himself and his life.

X

She wasn't dead.

No, that would've been too easy.

So far, her life was anything but easy.

Rogue glanced at the mansion from her perch outside the window, hating how even after months of being away, she always came back.

"He was cute." Alison Blaire said almost conversationally from her perch atop the old tree. Rogue ignored her, turning around as she jumped swiftly off the ledge.

"What exactly are we doing her?" Nathan Summers asked from her stance behind the same tree Dazzler occupied.

Rogue rose to her feet, eyes emotionless even though her entire body wanted to scream.

"We were getting information." She told him shortly, ignoring the slight twist in her stomach as she pushed the mental picture of Warren away. She couldn't afford to dwell on it for too long. Otherwise, she'd go insane.

"It looks more like you were meeting with your boyfriend?" Shiro told her, raising an eyebrow as she walked by. He laughed at his own joke, snickering behind his hand when Rogue turned to pin him down with a stare.

"I have no time for a boyfriend, Sunfire. I told Gambit more than enough times and now I am telling you. I just want Apocalypse dead."

X

It was a lie to say she didn't die that night.

As much as she wanted to deny it, she had still died.

She remembered floating aimlessly, just waiting for the black mutant of death to snatch her soul and send her plummeting into her next life. She figured she'd probably turn out to be a normal human. Maybe she had redeemed herself by dying in for Warren, and she figured a life without powers would suffice.

But, that wasn't her destiny.

No, her destiny was something far more complicated than being reborn as a human.

She remembered being ripped from that dark place, landing instead in a small coffin, shouting her lungs off for someone to help her. Next thing she knew, she heard a buzz while something wrapped its arms around her. She heard another buzz before she landed hard in the grass of the front lawn, gasping for air as a black mutant stood over her.

That had been Kestrel, the first mutant in a long line of mutants she was later to meet.

He had introduced himself as John Wraith, a mutant with teleporting abilities similar to Kurt's, and had said that she'd been recruited.

She had met Alison, or Dazzler, next, remembering her as one of the mutants Rogue had seen in the lab when Second had captured her. Rogue was told that it was Dazzler who had mentioned her to their superiors.

When Rogue asked who these "superiors" were, all of them had shrugged, telling her that they weren't exactly sure themselves.

Next had been Sunfire, whose temper almost matched her own. Difference between the two of them though was that she knew how to control hers.

After Sunfire she met Cable, and with a start realized that the man she was looking at reminded her of Scott. She would learn later than he was actually Scott's son, sent from the future.

Polaris, or Lorna Dane, she met later. With the ability to control magnetism, Rogue wondered if she was in any way related to Magneto, but dropped the thought before she let it form fully. It was none of her business who was whom.

Last but definitely not least, she met Gambit, a mutant who rivaled even Warren's womanizing abilities. The southerner was just as slick with the ladies as he was with his powers, and while he liked his women, he had taken a sudden interest in her lately.

And so the seven of them made the Seven Sins, a mutant team designed specifically to take down Apocalypse.

X

"Well look who made it back. Tired, Cherie?" Gambit asked from her perch on the couch. She didn't spare him a glance as the group walked through the door of the small house. Instead, she took off her shoes, shrugging out of her green jacket before throwing it loosely over her arm.

"Cat got your tongue?" Gambit asked, raising a slim eyebrow.

"Drop it, Sparky." Cable said with a grunt, landing with a 'huff' next to Gambit on the couch. He turned the TV on, highering up the volume as he tried to drown out Gambit's voice.

Rogue ignored all of them, continuing up to her bedroom on the third floor as she tried to hold the emotions in place. It would do her no good crying or blubbering in front of all of them.

Even though it would make her feel a hell of a lot better.

No, instead she stepped inside her room, shut the door and fell face forward into the bed.

She considered keeping her face buried in the covers until she couldn't breathe, ending her life for the second time, but knew without a doubt that the 'superiors' would probably just revive her again. After all, that was her destiny. She turned her head to the side, taking in a small gulp of air before she let herself cry.

X

She hadn't been allowed to contact anyone from her old life.

"That's one the rules." Kestrel told her one day, a sigh following the statement.

"Rules?" she asked, taking the sandwich the man offered. She took a bite, smiling when she tasted peanut butter and jelly.

"Yeah, rules. The superiors keep them so that we can focus on our mission."

"Destroying Apocalypse?" she asked.

John nodded, taking a bite of his own sandwich.

"Human emotions are messy. No attachments means no emotions which means complete and utter focus."

"Sounds lonely." She said softly, eyes faraway.

"It is, but you get used to it. We don't break the rules, it's more trouble than it's worth."

But she had broken them, more than once.

She thought just seeing Warren once was going to be good. See him, say goodbye, and just move on. But, she always found another excuse to see him or another reason to talk to him. She never spoke to him body to body, that was too risky. She always manifested herself and let herself be content with just being near him, being able to 'feel' him.

It was enough to get her by most nights.

She had been given a second chance at life, but it came with a price and a mission.

The mission was to destroy Apocalypse, and the minute he died, Rogue was going to die again.

That was the price.

Each of them had a different story for being chosen.

And each had a different life to go back to.

Cable, son of Scott and a woman Rogue had never even heard of, will be sent back to a glorious future with Polaris. A future not overshadowed by the influence of Apocalypse, or the death and destruction that he had brought.

Kestrel will return to the South, back to his job as a preacher, while Sunfire will be sent back to Japan to continue on with his business. Dazzler and Gambit will return to the X-men, Dazzler as a recruit and Gambit as a new member.

And Rogue…she would be sent back to death.

If you asked her, she would've told you she got the short end of the stick. Everyone got to go back to a happy, awesome life while she was stuck with that dark, empty void.

Was it any wonder she saw Warren as much as she could?

But, she figured, that was life.

* * *

yes, i know, random and completely confusing, but i promise everything will come to late in the coming chapters, so dont give up on me!

I was just curious about something. A lot of you have read the prequel (...hopefully, or else u'd be really really lost lol) and i am just wondering who you guys picture when i write out these characters? I myself picture Anna Paquin as rogue (duh) but i actually picture Warren being played by Justin Hartley (wiggles eyebrows). I don't know, i just think he's make a better Angel XD

Here's to hoping for ch3 soon!

R&R

Much love!


	3. Just One Visit

Life wasn't fair.

She told herself that every day that she woke up to her new life, every day that she woke up and had to remind herself that who she was, and what she was, was gone.

Forever.

X

"I'm going out." She shouted, throwing her green coat over her shoulders as she walked slowly down the stairs.

"Can I inquire as to where?" Shiro asked from the kitchen of the house, slicing another piece of watermelon before looking up at her passing form.

"No." She said simply, passing through the hallway that connected all the rooms.

Gambit turned from his seat on the couch, following her movements with red eyes.

"Need company, Cherie?"

"No."

"Aww, now Remy don't think you like him." Gambit said casually, jumping over the back of the couch to come sauntering over to her.

She ignored him, kicking her feet into her shoes before reaching for the door handle. She had already begun to open the door when Gambit spoke again.

"You're not going anywhere you shouldn't, are you Cherie?"

She ignored him once more, opening the door wider.

Gambit's hand reached out, putting just enough pressure on the door to close it slightly. Her golden brown eyes flicked up to meet his and in them she saw a silent warning.

"Are you, Cherie?" he repeated.

She reached out her other hand, wrapping it around Gambit's wrist. Without a word, and without breaking her eyes from his, she lifted his hand from the door and threw it with force back to his side.

Gambit was unharmed of course. Whoever had woken her once more had made sure he powers were moot around the other Six sins.

"I'm going out." She finally answered, pulling the door back open.

"Don't wait up for me!" she shouted before slamming the door, her heavy heart lifting as she walked further and further away from the one place that reminded her she was dead and always will be.

X

She didn't know why she came this way. In all reality, this place should've been the one place she avoided at all costs.

But, she was here.

She was here because she had needed a place that calmed her overworked mind; a place that felt more like home than any place she'd ever been before.

She reached out, fingering the familiar plaque that stood proudly near the entrance of the school.

Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.

The only place she was never ostracized for being different; for being a mutant.

She smiled as she thought of her memories here.

There had been so many.

The first time she came here so many years ago with Logan, Scott and Ororo.

Learning to adapt to her new environment.

Meeting Bobby, Kitty, Piotr and so many others.

Meeting Warren.

She felt the tear spill over onto her cheek, the warm water like a shocking bath in the cold night.

She raised a hand, wiping away the warm trail before glancing up to the top of the wall.

She jumped, using Wolverine's lingering abilities to get to the top of the wide wall. She landed gracefully on both feet, scanning the front yard as she looked for the security traps. She saw one near the fountain where the statue of the Angel once stood. She saw another near the edges of the property and even more near the front door and the long driveway.

She let out a low whistle.

They had beefed up security since the last time she had been there with the others almost a week ago. She wondered what had brought on the new change.

she shrugged.

It wasn't much of a challenge for her now.

She jumped, landing into the front lawn with barely a thump.

Something beeped, telling her she had set off something. She closed her eyes, already summoning Magneto's abilities. The beeping stopped quickly enough when the alarm snapped in half. She smiled, remembering a time long ago when they had all taken on the alarms as a dare. John and his dumb ideas. She shook her head as the memory faded, trying to remember all the traps that were set up on the side of the lawn.

She got through them quickly enough with minimal damage, only destroying 3 more gadgets before she made it to where she wanted to be. She jumped again, grabbing a low hanging branch of the old oak. She continued to do that, catching branch after branch until she made it high enough.

In one of her rare moments alone, she sat on the middle branch of the old tree, staring through the window into her room.

Her _old_ room.

She had to remember to keep making that distinction or else she would forget her place and the future that awaited her.

Already her mind began to settle, the sadness and depression lifting enough for her to feel like she could breathe without crying.

How she missed the mansion so much. She remembered how much she wanted to get out once, to explore the world when she had lived on the other side of the walls. Now, all she wished was for just one more chance to walk the halls of the grand building.

She glanced around herself, noting the sleeping mansion and its inhabitants around her.

She shrugged.

How much could it hurt if she just went in and came right back out?

She felt the telekinesis slide through her veins, the power vibrating underneath her hands as she raised them towards the closed window. she heard the lock on the other side click, the window creaking open as if inviting her inside.

she grabbed the main trunk of the tree for support, getting to her feet as she readied herself for the jump.

She jumped, making it inside the window without a noise as she landed gracefully on her feet. She crouched to hide her body, looking around the room to make sure no one in the room had woken up. She rose to her feet slowly when she made the discovery that no one was in the room at all. Shocked, she looked around with a new eye and noticed that the room was exactly the way she had left it last time she'd been in the mansion.

She walked over to the desk, sitting down on the wooden chair as she stared into the familiar mirror. She smiled when she saw her reflection, her surroundings fading as she was once again regular old Rogue, getting ready for another day full of lectures.

_She picked up the brush Logan had brought her back from up north, running it through her long hair, watching as the brown glimmered in the rising sun. She smiled, glad she got the wild mess under control for today. A knock came from the door and with an absent-minded shout, Rogue invited them in._

_"Hey, the Prof said he needed to talk to us real quick." Bobby said, his blue eyes full of love for his first, innocent crush._

_She smiled, placing down the brush as she turned from her chair._

_"What'd you ask him for this time?" She asked, playfully egging Bobby. Her Iceman smirked, not falling into the trick for the third time this week._

_"I am giving you 5 minutes before i head up by myself." Bobby shouted jovially, closing the door with a soft click._

_She turned back towards the mirror, shaking her head as she picked the brush back up to run through her hair._

_"What are you doing here?" her reflection asked from the mirror. Rogue stopped her movements slowly, not being able to talk her eyes off of her own reflection._

_"you don't belong here." The reflection told her, eyes a cold gold._

_"What're you talking about-"_

_"You're dead. You. Don't. Belong. Here!"_

Her eyes snapped open as she dropped the brush, the wooden handle making a loud crack as it hit the wood of the table. She swallowed, eyes glued to the mirror as she waited for the reflection to speak back to her once again. When she saw nothing, just her own terrified eyes and pale skin, she let out a dry and humorless laugh.

"You're losing it, Rogue." She muttered to herself before getting up from the chair.

She continued to walk across the room, touching small things that brought back more memories she had long ago suppressed. She was admiring a bracelet Jubilee had made her when she heard it.

The sound of feet hitting the carpeted hallway outside of the door.

The bracelet fell out of her numb fingers.

They couldn't find her in here.

They can't know that she was still "alive".

She sent a longing look towards the window, knowing she didn't have enough time to make it there before the footsteps made it to the room. She turned, diving for the closet as she scrambled to shove her long body into the small space. She shut the doors from the inside, leaving a small space for herself to peek from.

Not a moment later the door to the room opened and three people stepped in, one of them flicking on the light in the process. She didn't have enough room to see who they were, but she only prayed that they wouldn't find her. She placed her hand over her mouth, trying to control her rapid breathing as the three newcomers began to make their way around the room.

"Are you sure you heard something?" one voice asked.

Rogue felt her eyes widen when she recognized Logan's deep voice.

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?" another voice asked.

Rogue closed her eyes in disbelief when she placed Bobby's voice.

"I heard something." the last voice said with a certainty that sent her already rapidly beating heart out of control.

Or, it could've just been the person the voice belonged to.

Rogue was sure that if she hadn't been sitting down, her legs would've given out and she would've fallen flat on her face and made enough noise to ruin her entire mission.

Her heart and everything else in her body told her to open the door and fling herself in his arms, to hold onto him like her very life depended on it.

But her mind...

Her mind stopped her because if she did just that, she would die again before the mission was finished.

And she would never be able to "speak" to her angel again.

She curled into a ball, trying to stop herself from moving as the tears began to fall.

"What exactly did you hear, bub?" Logan asked, grumpy from being woken up in the middle of the night to look in a room he had spent the better part of the year avoiding.

There were just too many damn memories.

"I don't know...but I heard something." Warren argued. It was either that or he was honestly going insane.

She heard one of them moving around, watching as his shadow moved across the closet to the other side of the room.

"Out of all the rooms..." she heard Bobby whisper, such pain etched in the one statement that Rogue wanted to wrap the young mutant in her arms and never let him go.

"The window's open." Warren murmured and with a curse Rogue hit her fist against her leg. She should've remembered that!

"So? You know the wind blows hard enough to open windows in the mansion sometimes." Logan rebuffed Warren's idea even before it had a chance to fully form.

"Yeah..." Warren let the word trail, neither accepting or denying the possibility.

Bobby let out a yawn and she watched as his shadow seemed to shake. "I don't see anything here. So, if you guys don't mind, I am going back to sleep."

"Don't take all the blanket!" Logan's voice boomed before she saw a shadow leave the room.

"I can't wait till Iceman gets his own room back." Logan muttered under his breath before turning back towards Warren.

"Let it go, Pretty Boy. If anything was in here, it's gone now."

Warren didn't answer. Instead, he stood still, trying to make sense of what he had heard.

"I am heading back bub before Bobby grabs the good blanket. You should turn in for the night too."

She heard heavy footsteps as Logan left the room. All that was left between her and freedom was Warren.

She waited for him to turn and follow Logan out, only letting out a silent curse when she heard him moving around the room. She looked through the small opening, following his movements that were in her range with one eye.

She watched as he continued to move around, looking under her bed, looking in the adjoining bathroom and looking behind the TV she had once begged the Professor to allow her to put in the room.

She began to feel fear creep along her spine, knowing Warren wasn't going to leave anytime soon and she was as good as caught.

"Just leave already." She whispered, hoping that her legs hadn't fallen asleep let. Jumping out of the window would be compromised if her legs were numb due to lack of circulation.

She let out a sigh when Warren stopped moving only to feel her heart quicken when he turned towards the closet.

She silently cursed herself once more when she saw him begin to walk cautiously towards where she was hiding.

_No, no, no! _ she screamed to herself when he reached forward, grabbing the two doorknobs.

She closed her eyes, curling into a ball as the doors began to creak open.

* * *

Sorry guys! I am pretty sure updates should be more or less regular and closed in-between. i did decide to take summer classes and never realized how much time it would be -sighs- sorry for the wait but here is ch3!

thanks for all the reviews and here's hoping ch4 comes up soon!


	4. Missing You

"Warren!"

Warren stopped, turning as Logan came running back into the room.

On the other side of the door, Rogue uncurled her fingers from her eyes, letting out a silent breath as she heard Warren's hands drop from the door handles.

"What?"

"Someone tripped the security alarms in the front lawn."

Warren pursed his lips, following Logan as he walked out of the room. He turned around at the doorway to look back into the empty room, trying to figure out what had sent him in here. Something on the dresser caught his eye. He cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what was different.

Logan shouted his name once more and with a sigh, Warren turned off the lights, shutting the door behind him as he left.

Rogue waited a couple of silent minutes before she opened one of the doors slightly, peeking her head out. When nothing moved and it remained silent, she moved the rest of the way out of the closet, testing her numb legs to make sure she could still use them. The worse thing that could happen while she was trying to escape would be for her legs to give out and she get caught.

She closed her eyes slowly, already picturing what could happen if she got caught. The excrutitaing pain of leaving your body, the endless and emotionless floating in a void that seemed to have no purpose.

All the time in the world to grieve for a life that was cut too short.

She'd die.

Again.

No, she was wrong. Getting caught by the X-men wouldn't be the worst thing. Not by a long shot.

She walked quickly but quietly towards the open window, turning to take one last look at the room before she jumped, disappearing out of the window.

X

"This is bad." She whispered to herself, not taking her eyes off of the front lawn. A lawn that was scattered with more than a dozen mutants, scouring the area for the intruder.

"This is really, really bad."

The tree she had just recently climbed up hid her partially from the view of the others, but she knew it was just a matter of time before they made their way over towards her.

She needed a distraction.

She glanced out from behind the tree, trying to pinpoint everyone before she summoned the power. She didn't need any of them tracing the distraction back to her.

She lifted her hand, the small ball of fire growing as she concentrated.

"Alright, let's get this party started."

She threw the ball, using Piotr's strength as she tried to get it as far as possible. It fell yards away, almost going out in the cold night. She concentrated once more and with a flash, the ball ignited higher, the flame jumping 2 feet in the air.

It took the group a moment before someone realized it.

"HEY!" one of them shouted, grabbing everyone's attention as they all regrouped towards the fire. She closed both hands, opening them up when the heat seared her fingers. The next two balls flew through the air in different directions, falling on the group for a moment before they also ignited.

"Come on." She whispered, hoping that they all would look in one direction. She just needed a couple of seconds to get through the alarms, especially since she'd already 'disabled' them all, and jump the wall to freedom.

"Four and five." She whispered, watching as the small balls of fire grew in her hands. She threw them up high, watching as they flew high in the air before landing in a cloud of smoke farther away from her.

"Fan out! They're throwing it from the skies!" She heard Logan yelled, smiling with triumph as they scattered away from her.

She took off running, staying close to the gate that surrounded the sides of the school. If she could just get to the end, sail over the wall, she was free-

She let out a curse when something caught her around the leg, her body flying forward as her leg stayed in place.

So, the new alarms were definitely fast regenerating, rebuilding themselves quickly after an attack. She gave Forge a silent salute, knowing that it probably had taken him months to create the new alarms.

She felt the pop as her ankle dislocated, biting her bottom lip to hold in the scream of pain.

She hit the ground hard, her hands unable to support her sudden drop, and let another curse when she heard the siren of the alarm around her ankle.

If she ever saw Forge again, she was going to kill him.

Shouts echoed through the night as the other mutants stopped, some turning to look her way. She watched out of horrified eyes as the mutants nearest her turned, some running her way as they looked for the intruder.

"This is bad." She repeated, turning around to watch the alarm as it screamed shrilly, the red light blinking through the small space like a pulsating heartbeat.

A heartbeat that matched her own racing rhythm.

She didn't dare use any of her powers, knowing that if she even tried it, she was caught.

She had to think of something or else her life as she knew it was over.

Done.

Gone.

But the only thing she could think of was using her power, and since the idea seemed moot at this point, she was out of options.

Dear god, please don't let her get caught.

She turned away when the first mutant came towards her, shining a small of strong beam of light on her as he shouted, "Hey! Who are you!"

That was it, she was caught. Say goodbye to killing Apolcalypse, say goodbye to a few months of living again, even thought they had had a potential to be completely depressing and unreal.

Say goodbye to her ever "seeing" Warren again.

The mutant repeated his question and Rogue realized with a moan of distress that he was closer this time. She felt the hand grab her shoulder, using all of his strength to turn her to face him. She resisted as long as she could, but knew that the effort was pointless.

She turned slowly, folding her hair behind her ear as she let the mutant catch her profile.

X

Lonnie Marks was a mutant.

It was something he was used to and something he had learned to accept a long time ago. Even though it had been grudgingly, he had accepted it. He had accepted that he was different, weird and would always be odd one out.

That was until he came to the mansion.

He remembered his first day at the grand mansion after his parents had dropped his off with nothing more than a rushed goodbye. He didn't care, by then he accepted the fact that his parents were terrified of him and what he was. They drove off, leaving Lonnie alone on the steps of the large building. He had been scared, hell, he would've been lying if he said he was anything but scared. But, scared was something he had lived with all his life.

He'd been standing there, contemplating running away and trying out for the circus when the door slammed open, a tall redhead with a white streak in her hair running out as she was chased by someone. She had slammed into him, he remembered that, sending them both to the ground, her in a fit of laughter and him in a surprised groan of agony.

She stammered sorry, lifting herself off of him as she reached for his hand. Her's had been gloved, he remembered that too cause he had thought it was weird that she was wearing gloves during Spring. She had looked up at him, smiled, and with a firm handshake has said, "Welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

Welcome.

One simple word that he had never heard said to him in his entire life.

And, she had smiled at him. Not one of those fake smiles that he always say his parents give him, but a genuine smile that had had him smiling back, taking her hand in a shake as he introduced himself.

He had been there when she lived.

And he had been there when she died.

It, he mused, was something you just couldn't forget.

The months passed slowly after her death, the mansion moving on slowly as she was remembered and cherished. Rogue had been his first friend and Lonnie had accepted a long time ago that she was dead.

Which was why he had a hard time believing that the mutant he saw before him, the mutant with the dark green coat and bright white streak in her hair, was Rogue. She looked at him exactly the same way she used to, with the golden eyes of a hawk that stuck him dead in place.

"Rogue?" He asked, dropping to his knees in front of her. He watched her swallow, licking her lips lightly as she said with forced effort, "Hello, Lonnie."

He reached for her and she didn't shrink back when he traced his fingers along her face.

"You're real." he whispered before grabbing her by the shoulders, crushing her in a hug.

"I missed you so much!" He screamed into her shoulder, gripping her tightly least she disappeared again.

"I missed you too, kid." She muttered before she reached out a hand, touching the back of his bare neck as she willed her powers to work.

He forced his mouth to function, to shape her name before his mind went blank as the numbing pain of fading away took over.

"Rogue?"

X

Damn.

She shook her hand, trying to shake off Lonnie's lingering personality as he fell to the ground.

She glanced at the young man, refusing to let herself cry as she continued to stare at her old friend.

Out of all the people who could've seen her, it had to have been Lonnie. She hoped she knocked him out long and strong enough for him to believe that everything he saw was just a dream.

Her very being depended on it.

She pushed his body away as her ankle sang, reminding her of the dire situation she was in. She looked around herself, trying to find something that would disengage the alarm without drawing too much attention towards her.

"Figures." She muttered with a shrew look when she realized she was only inches from the front wall of the mansion. she was literally seconds away from freedom and all she had to do was undo the stupid brace around her ankle.

"Lonnie!" someone shouted from a distance, the voice all too familiar.

"Damnit!" she growled softly to herself, hoping in his advancing years that Logan was getting slower.

She had no such luck.

The Wolverine was the next mutant she saw start to make its way over to her. No way was she going to be able to get her hands on Logan long enough to knock him out like she had Lonnie.

Logan was far to smart for that.

She let out a string of curses as she reached for the chain, almost dying from the agony when her ankle protested.

Logan began to walk towards her, shouting before she heard the _shing _of his claws deploying.

"No, no, no!" she whispered furiously, already picturing the future that awaited her.

She was dead.

No, she was beyond dead.

She was done.

Gone.

She was never going to be able to see any of them again and she-

She screamed when she heard the buzz, the card flying through the air before landing in front of Logan's feet. The large man looked curiously down at it, spitting out a curse when the small bomb exploded. She watched as the large body flew through the air before landing with a bone-crunching thud.

Something leaped over the wall before landing silently beside her, the figure reaching out a hand as it touched the small, shrilling alarm. It seemed to short circuit, the loud shrill stopping all together before the bracelet around her ankle unlocked with a soft click.

"Come on, Cherie." Gambit murmured, placing an arm behind her knees and on her back as he lifted her up.

She felt the air whoosh around her as he jumped high, landing on the top of the thick wall before jumped once more.

She turned her head into his chest, blocking her eyes from the home she once knew as they left.

Blocking her head from the screams that reverberated through the lawn as someone yelled for help.

Blocking her heart from the painful realization that she wanted to stay far more than she wanted to live again.

* * *

So, I have made a deal of self-discipline with myself, hehe. I, right now, have 4 open stories, all of which I love and absolutely cannot wait to write. I will be updating each story once a week in the same order. Wednesdays will be dedicated to Rogue's Angel, a day I can post as many chapter as i want and as many ideas as possible. I feel as if i am cheating you guys if i don't post frequently :[

much love guys!

R&R


	5. You'll Never Understand

The night's silence was broken by the clicking of a single pair of boots on the broken pavement. The sky seemed to cry as rain drizzled softly, something Gambit thought was fitting especially since the small woman in his arms seemed unable to express the same feeling as the sky. Instead, she had her head tucked into Gambit's chest, refusing to open her eyes or say anything. Gambit said nothing also, knowing that the silence was there as a comfort for the young woman in his arms.

He couldn't say what first drew him to the mutant and he still wasn't sure what it was. Sure, she was the most special case among all of them, she was the only one who had been resurrected from the dead, but it wasn't because of that. She was hot, any hot-blooded man would agree with him, but then again the other two women on the team weren't bad to look at either. Maybe it was his innate southern hospitality, drilled into him from childhood that a damsel in distress needed a good man to watch over her.

Too bad Gambit was anything but a good man.

Rogue didn't speak for what seemed like forever. She didn't even move. Instead, she just lay quietly in his arms.

After a few moments, even Gambit couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"You know, Remy was never good as being a shining knight in armor when I was at home."

He wanted her to laugh, to get angry, to show some type of emotion. Ever since they all came to live together, Rogue was the only one that wasn't animated. She went through the motions like a robot, forever just moving through the process without any emotional input. It made him wonder sometimes if she was ever really even human.

Gambit couldn't quite place the former X-men. Everyone in the house had a personality, a distinct trait that set them apart from the others. Kestrel had a dry sense of humor that, while annoying in some situations, still kept them entertained. Dazzler had a spark, no pun intended, and was one of the more social of the Seven Sins. Sunfire had a temper that matched his blazing mutation. Cable and Polaris acted like a bickering married couple while Gambit saw himself as the comic relief.

But Rogue…

She was a mystery to all of them. It didn't matter what day it was, what time it was, she was forever the same monotonous but mysterious Rogue. No one knew how to approach her, no one knew what to say and no one knew what was going through her mind. Ever.

When she did nothing in response to his statement, only remaining like a statue in his arms, he continued to speak as if she had commented.

"You might not know this about me, Cherie, but when I was at home, I was a bit of a troublemaker. But, mon'ame, I was not a bad troublemaker. Just a troublemaker. In fact, I caused trouble for very good reasons. I was a good troublemaker-"

"that's an oxymoron." her small voice interrupted him, piercing the silent night like a bullet. Gambit was so surprised by the sound that he immediately shut his mouth, turning to stare at her.

"I think this is the first time where I got you to shut up without much effort." Rogue commented dryly, shifting in his arms as she moved her head out from beneath his chest to stare right back at him. She noticed a cut on his cheek that was still bleeding and absently wondered if he got that because he had been saving her?

Gambit still didn't speak, feigning shock and hurt at her words. She saw it and fought the urge to retort with something more hateful. There was no use in her saying what she wanted to say.

That's she hated him for taking her away from the mansion. That she hated him for being there and reminding her why she shouldn't have gone back in the first place. That she hated him for not letting her stay to see Warren once.

That she hated him for letting her "live".

Instead, she said, "You going to carry me all day or are you going to let me walk by myself?"

Gambit seemed to finally retain function of his mouth and retorted rather sarcastically with, "You hurt your ankle. Do you plan on walking home with it like that?"

Even before he finished his sentence, he felt something warm travel up and down his body from his arms. With a start, he realized it was Rogue. She had turned away from him and instead closed her eyes, focusing on something that was unknown to Gambit. The feeling continued and with a very bemused smile, Gambit saw that she was very slowly healing him and herself. Whatever aches and bruises he had from saving her butt were fading and with a chuckle he felt the cut on his cheek repair itself.

The feeling disappeared after a moment and Gambit was left with a small glimmer of power. He felt her move her ankle experimentally, testing to feel range of movement and pain. She seemed to nod in satisfaction and with a grunt began to wiggle out of his arms.

Gambit only rolled his eyes, throwing her onto the ground with an almost exasperated sigh. Any other person would've fallen flat on their face but Rogue landed with a grace to be envied, collecting herself quickly before she began to stalk off towards the house, leaving Gambit behind.

He let out another sigh, resisting the childish urge to roll his eyes as he began jogging to catch up with her long strides.

Gambit began speaking in a light tone, his long legs easily keeping up with her pace."Now, Remy doesn't have a big ego or anything but a simple 'thank you' is usually polite when people save you-"

"I was handling the situation perfectly fine on my own." She lied, not turning to look at him as she continued her pace.

"Right, I could see that when you were laying on the ground as that big man came lumbering over to you-"

"It was a trick. I had a plan that was working great until you interrupted it."

He reached out to grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks as he spun her to meet his gaze. He didn't say anything when he finally got her to stop, but he watched those hazel eyes. He saw the rage there, that was evident, but he also saw the pain and the anguish that she refused to let out.

"You don't always have to be so strong, Cherie." He whispered softly, not breaking eye contact.

"What are you talking about-"

"You're human too. You feel pain, you cry, you laugh, you _live._"

Something changed just ever so slightly in that moment, if he could have he would've reached out and grabbed just so it could stay. But the moment disappeared and he once again saw the same old woman standing in front of him.

"You don't know what you're talking about." She said in a voice devoid of any emotion. She tugged her arm out of his grip and began to walk once more.

"Rogue-" he began to call after her.

"Just drop it Gambit!" she yelled, coming to a stop as she whipped around to stare at him. "Don't pretend like you could ever understand or even begin to fathom what I could possibly be feeling right now."

And with that statement, he watched as with a puff, she disappeared and left him standing alone in the night.

X

"Our defenses suck." David said with a grunt as Jubilee threw an ice pack at him. He caught it easily, placing it on his head with a wince.

Logan sent a withering look to the young child, already having healed from his wounds, before saying, "I didn't see you last that long out there, Sparky."

David held back the innate urge to stick out his tongue like an elementary school kid. Instead, he sent an equally withering look back towards the old man.

"And you held up long?" he asked sarcastically, earning him a very shrewd look from the Wolverine.

"Quit it." Warren muttered softly, his voice barely audible in the large room, but the group heard him just the same.

They were all gathered in the grand living room that before held so many meetings. This was the first in months, but it felt all the same. Warren was standing near the fireplace while the others were scattered across the room, bruised and battered but alive.

The only one who wouldn't wake up was Lonnie. Try as they might, the teenager would not open his eyes. He was breathing, but the breaths were shallow and Warren had the tiny fear that the child had been placed into a coma. Ororo was at his side now, trying to revive him with her medicinal African ways, but the attempt proved to no avail. Lonnie remained in the stage between life and death.

"We got creamed out there." Kitty mumbled, shaking her head when Jubilee offered her an ice pack.

"whoever they were, had a pretty good attack plan. I thought Forge's defenses were impenetrable." Bobby added.

"Regardless of the fact that we didn't last long, did anyone see the group that broke in?" Warren asked, his gaze sweeping the room. Some mutants shrugged while others tried to think.

"Anyone?"

"It wasn't a group of people. It was one person." A small voice said from the corner of the room. Everyone turned to look at Lonnie, surprised to find him alive.

Numerous mutants flocked to his sides,trying to see if he was alright. He waved them off, painfully trying to sit up as Ororo hands supported him.

"What do you mean child?" She asked, referring to Lonnie's earlier statement.

Lonnie let out a sigh, clutching his head as he tried to remember. Everyone waited in anticipation for his answer, but there was only a look of confusion on his face. After a moment, he paled and his eyes came up to meet Warren's as he opened his mouth to speak.

"It was...it was...," he stopped, unable to finish.

"It was who?" Warren demanded, walking over to crouch in front of the boy. Lonnie shock his head softly, not taking his eyes off of Warren. "you won't believe me if I told you." he said in a whisper.

Warren pursed in lips in annoyance, still waiting on answer. When none came, he let out a sigh in frustration.

"Just spit it out, Lonnie!"

Lonnie swallowed, a picture of her flashing before his eyes as he choked out her name.

"Rogue."

* * *

Okay, so obivously I haven't updated in a while. I am sincerely so sorry. I love all my stories so much and I really wish I had the time to update it regularly. Alas, school blows and with every free moment I have, it's literally eating, sleeping and working out. I will try in the future to make these updates more often but please understand that school is a must.

best regards!


	6. Death's Deal

He thought it was a joke. It must have been. There wasn't any way that Lonnie had been telling the truth.

The silence that swept the room was quick and unbearable. Everyone stopped moving, turning to stare unblinkingly at Lonnie as he stared at Warren. No one said anything, waiting for someone else to speak up first.

Warren's first thought was to deny it. To deny anything and everything that Lonnie was telling him. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. Warren had spent the last couple of months convincing himself that Rogue was dead.

Dead.

Gone.

She was never coming back.

Ever.

To want to believe what Lonnie was saying would unravel everything. It would literally tear his world apart.

His second thought, and the one he wanted to do the most, was to believe it. Believe that Rogue was still alive, that he could touch her again.

Hold her again.

That he could just see her smile again.

The first person to do anything was Logan, and he scoffed out a denial.

"I think you hit you head harder than we thought, Sleepy-head."

Lonnie shook his head, only groaning slightly when it worsened her headache.

"I know what I saw, Logan. And I saw Rogue-"

"Careful, child," Ororo started as she pushed him back softly by his shoulders onto the couch to lay down, "you might be hallucinating—"

"No, I am not losing my mind. I know I saw her!" Lonnie argued, pushing Ororo's hands off of his shoulders. "She was there! She knocked me out after I recognized her."

"Careful, Lonnie. This isn't something to say lightly." Ororo warned him. She also wanted to believe that her friend was still alive. She wanted to believe it with every fiber in her body but knew she had to keep a clear head.

The teenager pursed his lips, angry that no one would believe him. "I am not saying this lightly, I know what I saw, and I saw Rogue!"

"Enough." Warren whispered softly, his mind reeling. Everyone turned to look from Lonnie to him.

"Warren—," Lonnie started.

"I said enough. We're not going to get anywhere arguing about what was and wasn't seen. Everyone get some sleep. Logan, Ororo and I will check the perimeters for safety."

There were moans and groans of small rebellion, but everyone eventually began moving upstairs. Warren glanced at Ororo and Logan, giving them a small nod before he left the room to begin checking the back perimeter of the mansion.

He was surprised his joints could move, allowing him not to fall flat on his face like he thought he would if he dared to stand up.

One foot in front of the other, he commanded himself.

There was no point in breaking apart in front of the mansion.

When he made it outside, when he made it away from the air of the mansion that he felt was suffocating him inside, he took a deep breath.

He fought back the feeling that was beginning to grow in his chest, the familiar feeling of hope. It did him no good to hope at all.

Rogue was dead.

And that was never going to change.

X

They were in trouble.

Well, the most apt term would be that Rogue was in trouble. But, as Rogue quickly learned, if one of them was in trouble, then they all were in trouble.

She knew it the moment that she had _poofed_ back into the building that she shared with the other Sins. They were all gathered into the living room, leaving Rogue alone when she entered into the tiny hallway outside. The house was in a heated discussion, and Sunfire was at the base of it.

"Who the _hell_ does she think she is?! She could have gotten us all killed!"

"Calm down, you'll give yourself a hernia?" Cable muttered, rolling his eyes when Sunfire only sent him a withering look.

"Maybe she has a reason?" Kestral commented lightly, examining his nails.

"She's an idiot. There is no _reason_ that she should have been there in the first place. We are told not to go back to our old lives for a reason." Dazzler defended Sunfire's point of view.

"Hey, we all broke that rule once or twice." Kestral said softly, sending Dazzler a look. She cringed back, shrinking behind Sunfire.

"Regardless, this is the first time that the _Superiors_," he said the nickname with a spit of disgust, "have ever even shown a sign of being pissed off at this decision."

"The _Superiors_," Cable mimicked Sunfire's tone, "have yet to take into account the _situation_ that they have placed Rogue in."

She would've smiled at her friends for defending her had the situation not been so grave.

"We're all going to fry for this, idiots. You may have a great future to go back to Cable, but we'll be stuck here in the present when the _Superiors_ cut the mission because of her stupid mistake."

"Trust me, Sunfire, getting rid of Apocalypse won't be deterred because Rogue wanted to see a glimpse of her old life for a bit."

"They'll kill her! That's the punishment! The mission is as good as done!"

They continued to argue, and for the first time in her life, Rogue was terrified to go into a room. She was rooted to the ground, fear growing in her stomach at the thought that she would be immediately sent back to that dark place of death. The void of emptiness that held nothing but fear and loneliness.

What had she done?!

The ball of dread began to form in her body, taking over every part of her person as she tried to control her emotions. The internal battle was wreaking havoc on her system and in an attempt to remain calm she didn't hear the door behind her open or close.

She clutched her hands into fists, refusing to jump into hysteria as she thought of the death that could be coming. Her breathing became uneven as the argument in the living room became even more heated, throwing around words that began to scare her even more.

She could die again.

She wouldn't be able to exact her revenge on Apocalypse.

She would never see any inhabitants of the mansion again.

She would never even get to see Warren again.

"No." She whispered softly, her eyes going wide. Despite her efforts to remain still and calm, she felt her body begin to shake.

"She'll die and we lose any chance we get a beating Apocalypse. You really think the Superiors want that?" Kestral demanded, still defending her.

"She broke the rules! You know as well as I do Kestral that once the rules are broken, the decision is made."

"It doesn't matter Sunfire, the point is is that Rogue is the strongest out of all of us. They won't just throw her away." Polaris murmured, speaking up for the first time.

"She is strong, but she isn't the strongest!" Sunfire shouted, showing off his mutation just for emphasis.

"She can suck you dry and copy your powers. You aren't anywhere near as strong as she is." Cable scoffed, unimpressed by the show.

"She broke the rules guys. She is going to die!" Dazzler shouted petulantly.

"No." Rogue moaned out loud, falling to her knees. The conversation in the living room stopped, everyone turning to stare at her as she rested in the doorway.

"Rogue—," they all started.

"YOU! You are so dead!" Sunfire yelled, pointing a long finger at her as he began walking towards her.

"Shut up, Sunfire, or so help me I will kill you myself, Superiors be damned." A voice from behind her threatened softly.

Sunfire shut his mouth and stood rooted to the ground as Gambit bent to crouch at her side.

"Cherie." He said softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She didn't cringe away from him, frozen in her place of fear. He was about to speak again until he saw the tears that fell from her eyes, hitting the ground with a _plop_. She was bent over enough that her hair hid her face from the rest of the room, but Gambit could still see her face from his angle.

He had never seen her show any emotion. None at all. To watch someone so strong slowly break down in front of him shook him harder than he thought possible.

Gambit turned to stare at the room.

"The next time I hear anyone in here talking about death, I'll throw you out the window myself." He finished his statement, and then turned back to her.

"Cherie," he whispered, "I am going to bring you to your room now."

When she didn't answer, didn't even make a move or sound of acknowledgement, he took that as an ok to go with his plan.

For the second time that night, Rogue ended up in Gambit's arms as he carried her to her room.

X

"They won't kill you." Gambit murmured softly in comfort, not taking his eyes off of her.

He had laid her on the bed and she had instinctively curled up into a small ball, turning away from him and the world downstairs.

Her tears were quiet, and if Gambit hadn't been listening closely he wouldn't have known she was crying in the first place.

She was silent now, as she had been for the last hour and Gambit found himself at a loss for words. He had never seen Rogue as anything but a strong, smartass and hardheaded woman. To see her like this was...strange.

"They need you. I promise you they won't kill you." He repeated. He had said the same phrase over and over again for the last hour, trying to comfort her and to get her to speak. She never replied, so he just kept going.

"They won't kill you." He said once more. "They need-,"

"What if killing me right now was easier." She mumbled into the pillow.

He didn't let the shock of hearing her voice show on his face. Instead, he cleared his throat and asked her, "What?"

She chuckled, and that sound threw him off even more.

"I don't know about you, Cherie, but I don't seem to find the situation as funny as you do."

"I don't find anything funny, Gambo. I just chuckled because you're still as deaf as ever."

"Nice to see they didn't scare the humor out of you." Gambit mumbled, unsure of how to proceed with the situation.

He heard her let out a sigh before the blankets rustled as she sat up.

"Thanks for being quiet enough to let me cry. It…helped."

Well, that was shocking. He didn't think Rogue would ever say thanks for anything, let alone acknowledge that he had helped her.

"Uh, you're welcome…?"

"Relax. I am not going to chew off your head. "

It was his turn to let out a chuckle now.

"I am not scared of you Cherie. I was just merely watching my steps."

He watched as she nodded her head before letting out a sigh.

"I said it might be easier to kill me. I am not going to promise I won't go back. I'll keep going if I can. They won't catch me."

Gambit sent her a look.

"I'll be more careful." She said ruefully in response to the look.

"Why?" He asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Why do you keep wanting to go back? What is so important to risk death for?" Gambit elaborated, truly curious.

She lifted her hands, before letting them drop with a sigh. She looked out the window before answering. "I can't explain it. I _need _to see them. Knowing what will happen to me after our mission is done just makes that need so much more important in my eyes."

Gambit didn't say anything, only nodding minutely as if he understood exactly what she was going through.

"What if the house tries to stop you?"

"Then they'll try. I am the strongest for a reason. Even Sunfire sees the logic in that. They can only get so far before I get my way."

Gambit nodded once more before letting out a whistle.

"Looks like you and me, Cherie, will be spending a lot of time together."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" She asked. He nodded once, a smile spreading across his face.

"Why is that?" she asked him when he didn't explain.

"I'm not letting you go by yourself. Ah-," he interrupted her when she opened her mouth, "I am not taking an argument as answer. I'm going whether you like it or not. If you're still going to go regardless of the consequences, someone has to watch over you to make sure you don't get caught. They'll for sure kill you if you get caught."

"How do you know I won't be killed tonight?" she asked, ignoring the ball of fear that quivered in her stomach. "How do you know the 'Superiors' haven't already concocted a plan to get rid of me?"

"I told you," Gambit started, staring at her with a look in his eyes that she couldn't place, "they won't kill you. I won't let them."

* * *

I am sorry for the long break between updates. College has been kicking my butt! I hope updates will be more regular but with Med School Apps coming up, it doesn't look good :[

Here's to hoping!

And thanks everyone who has stayed with all my stories for so long. It truly is inspiring!


	7. Pride

The next morning, she woke up.

Considering the fact that she thought she was going to be dead, being able to open her eyes to the weak filter of sunlight brought her a level of comfort she couldn't describe.

Gambit had kept his promise.

She wasn't sure what the feeling was that was growing inside her but she immediately squished it. There was no use in getting attached to someone when she was going to die in the end anyways.

She got up, choosing to ignore the solitary chair set up next to the bed and instead made her way over to the bathroom.

She grimaced when she saw her reflection in the mirror, wondering if there was some way to try and hide the dark circles and mask the puffiness she was sure the others would notice.

She let out a small sigh, turning on the faucet to splash cold water on her face. After she dried off with a towel, she went on a hunt through the cupboards, trying to find makeup to fix the mess the crying had created. She found what she deemed a sad excuse for concealer underneath a pull out drawer. She shrugged, figuring it was a better option than any other ones that presented themselves at that moment.

When she was done and satisfied with the result, she let out another sigh and squared her shoulders.

It was time to face them.

She mentally prepared herself for the fight she knew would ensue as she made her way down the stairs.

The first thing that hit her was the smell of bacon.

The second thing was that for the first time since she'd been here, the house was blissfully quiet.

She reached the end of the staircase and stood there confused, not entirely sure what she was looking at.

The living room, usually filled with the noise blaring from the TV and constant chatter, was empty. Where she expected the rest of the Sins, there was only silence.

She heard whistling coming from the kitchen and curiously cocked her head to the side to try and catch the tune. She smiled despite herself at the choppy version of Twinkle Little Star and made her way over to the swinging door.

Pushing it slightly open, she peeked through and saw Gambit at the stove, whistling away as something sizzled deliciously in the pan.

She stepped farther in, choosing to lean against the doorjamb when he made no indication of his knowledge of her presence.

After a few moments, she concluded that he couldn't cook to save his life. Oil squirted everywhere and every so often the tune of Twinkle Little Star was broken by a curse word or two.

She let him burn himself one more time before she spoke, interrupting his song.

"How can you not know how to cook bacon?"

The tongs clattered as Gambit jumped before turning around to face her with a shrewd look.

"Do you always sneak up on people, Cherie?" he asked, bending to pick up the tongs from the ground before running them under cool water to clean them.

"Only when they're as clueless as you are." She replied, unfolding her arms before walking over to where he stood. She grabbed the tongs out of his hands before she turned towards the stove. Reaching out, she lowered the temperature and watched with satisfaction as the bacon cooked instead of burned.

Gambit had moved away behind her, grabbing a stool at the side table before settling comfortably in to watch her cook.

After a few moments of silence broken only by the pop of the cooking bacon, she said, "Thanks."

He didn't need to ask her to what she was referring to, already aware that she was showing her gratitude for still being alive.

He just shrugged before saying, "I told you you aren't going to die. The Superiors would be stupid to let you go."

She nodded, accepting the truth. She finished cooking the bacon and was already cracking open an egg before she asked, "Where is everyone?"

Gambit reached over, grabbing a piece of bacon and biting it before he answered her.

"Day off today. They're just running around now."

"And you?" she asked, flipping an egg over before glancing over at him. He shrugged, waving the piece of bacon in the air before answering, "I felt like staying in today. You understand."

She nodded, because she understood the need for privacy. She seasoned the eggs, flipping them over one more time before she lowered down the heat.

"So, how did you get so bad at cooking?"

He grinned. "Let's just say my mother's southern skills weren't picked up by me."

She grinned back. "You should learn how. It's an important skill."

She glanced up, expecting a witty retort, but found him staring at her curiously. When he continued to stare at her with that red gaze of his after a quiet minute, her smile faltered.

"Don't do that." He said softly.

This time, a look of confusion came onto her face. "Do what?" she asked, turning off the stove as she slid the eggs onto a plate.

"Don't stop smiling. It was a nice sight."

She chuckled uncomfortably, sliding the plate over to him and said simply, "eat."

He chose to ignore dismissal of his wish, deciding instead to not push the subject. It was nice seeing her smile at least once. Some people knew when to fold a losing hand, and this hand was already played out as much as he could get from it.

He scooped up a bite of egg and raised an eyebrow at the sheer deliciousness of the breakfast she had provided.

"Where'd you learn how to cook?" He asked, scooping up another bite.

"Mostly the mansion. I cook all the time with Warren…" she let the sentence trail off as she caught herself not using the past tense term. She chastised herself silently, almost wishing she would be more careful. "I _used_ to cook with a friend all the time." She remedied.

"This Warren guy, he is important to you?"

"_Was_ important to me." She brought attention to the past tense terminology once more.

"Not anymore though?" Gambit pressed. She shrugged, piling the pots she had used to cook in into the sink and turning on the faucet.

"Was that supposed to be an answer?"

"That was supposed to be a 'drop the subject'." She told him, a hint of finality in her voice.

"Why? Why not talk about him?" Gambit asked, deciding that this would be the time to push.

She slammed her hands on the counter, rattling the dishes in the sink, before staring at him with eyes as sharp as knives. "Why do you care about how I felt about Warren?"

"Remy just wanna know if you still have feelings for him."

"Why does it matter? It's not like it makes a difference to me and my situation right now."

"Remy would just like to see how much competition I have."

She snorted, relaxing visibly before she backed away to lean against the opposite counter. She crossed her arms, a reflex she developed as a way to guard herself, before she said with a very terse tone.

"Don't waste your breath or your time Gambit. I told you, I have no interest in a 'boyfriend'."

They stared at each other for a long time, the silence only broken when the front door opened with a loud bang. There was shouting from one of the Sins for everyone to gather into the living room. Gambit glanced past her at the kitchen door before he stood up from the chair, bringing the empty plates to the sink. He placed the dishes in and then turned to face her. He leaned in, and with an arrogance only brought on from being raised it the south, he said confidently, "Remy always liked a challenge," before sauntering out.

She rolled her eyes, flicking a finger towards his retreating back before following him.

Sunfire was in the middle of the living room, a small bag in one hand and what looked like a radio in the other. He was shouting into the radio, some foreign language that she couldn't understand.

"What's going on with you two?" Kestral asked her as she walked out of the kitchen. "Nothing, what's going on with Sunfire?" she rebutted, walking over to sit next to Kestral on the couch. She pointedly ignored Gambit when he made a sound and instead glanced over at the other Sins.

"Apocalypse was spotted. Sunfire is talking to a contact right now to try and pinpoint his exact location."

Every fiber in her body turned on edge. "Apocalypse?" she asked and Cable nodded for confirmation.

"When?"

"A couple of minutes ago. The Superiors sent us a signal and right away Sunfire got a call."

"What's the gameplan?"

"Do we need one?" Dazzler asked, reaching inside the closet for something.

"For Apocalypse? Yeah, we do." Rogue answered just as smartly as the question was asked. That only got her a side glance from Dazzler before she pulled out seven bags from the closet. She threw a bag at each of the Sins.

Rogue caught hers with a confused look, turning towards Kestral for an answer. "Just wait for it." He whispered to her.

She opened her bag hesitantly and her confusion only deepened when she pulled out a blonde wig and a black suit.

Sunfire clicked his phone shut, throwing it onto the table with a loud clatter as he caught his own bag from Dazzler

Each of them pulled out a black suit almost similar to the ones the X-Men used.

"Am I missing something?" She asked aloud, raising the wig and her own suit.

Sunfire let out a sigh of exasperation.

"It's our cover genius. Being who we are and where we're from, we can't be seen and recognized." He opened the bag in his other hand, rifled through it and threw each of them a package.

She caught hers easily, opening it to reveal a purple mask.

"Masks?"

"How we cover our faces." Dazzler explained as if she was talking to a child.

"How come I am the only one with a wig?" she asked and held back the urge to roll her eyes when Gambit replied, "Because blonde would look oh so tragic on dear Remy."

"You're hair is too recognizable. Sorry Rogue, but you have to put that on every time you go outside." Polaris said softly, a look of sympathy on her face. Rogue looked around at the other's suits and masks.

"Do the colors mean something?" she asked, raising Kestral's light blue mask for emphasis.

"We're the Seven Sins. Each one represents our fatal flaw. We thought it would be a good way to make out mark." Sunfire answered, putting on his own red mask.

"Red for Anger." He explained, with what she noted was a tone tinged with bitterness.

"Light Blue for Sloth." Kestral said with a lopsided grin, taking his mask back from her and putting it on.

"Green for Envy. But it's also my favorite color." Dazzler said, tying up her long hair in a ponytail before tying her own mask into place.

Polaris placed her own mask onto her face before she explained her color, "Yellow. For Greed. If wanting a better future counts as Greed."

"Orange for Gluttony." Cable said simply, opening his own box and flipping it to drop the mask out onto his palm with a look of what she could only describe as absolute pride.

"Pink for lust." Gambit said disdainfully, and she could only imagine why he didn't agree.

"And last but not least…" Sunfire trailed off, waiting for her to finish the sentence.

She pulled the mask out of the box, fingering the intricate designs of her own mark of power.

"Purple. For Pride."

* * *

Hey guys! So, not to make excuses but I really am so sorry for the large hiatus I took. When they say college is busy...BELIEVE THEM.

But I am back at it! I decided to show a little preview of the next chapter in each of my updates, so, enjoy!

* * *

Preview:

"You remind me of someone I used to know." Warren said softly, not taking his blue gaze off of her.

Behind her mask, her face paled. She curled her fingers, trying to hide her shaking fear of her sudden termination.

But it wasn't just fear.

There was hope.

Hope that maybe finally…finally she might be able to hold him one more time.

Not as Pride.

But as Rogue.

She let out a laugh she hoped sounded natural and nonchalant.

"I get that a lot," she began, "I guess I just have one of those faces." She finished smoothly, hoping he would just let it go.

Praying that he would push.

"That would be perfectly fine, except I haven't seen you face." He said just as smoothly, his hand reaching for her mask.


End file.
